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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



FRIOE, 15 QEWT8. 



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ANTI-PROHIBITION. 



GOSPEL LIQUOR TRAFFIC 

AND 

CHRISTIAN GOSPEL TRAFFIC 

BY 

HERMAN FRANK, 

THE MODERN 

CHAMPION OF DEISM, 

COPYRIGHTED 1889, BY THE AUTHOR, 



GOSPEL LIQUCE TEAFFIC AND CHRISTIAN GOSPEL TEAFFIC. 



The silly wrangling of would be modern reformers or Prohibition fanatic? who 
hava turned the states upside down with their religious nonsense explains this- 
pamphlet of opposition to the Amendment, an answer to its opponents by une of 
defenders arguments alone without the aid of such as is ordinarily considered. 

To satisfy their lecturers' challenges I leave what they term the earthly, finan 
cial and material to meet them on the high plain of moral and religious truth whero 
they imagine we have no ground on which to stand. 

Before entering upon a consideration of my analogy I propose to define accur 
ately and briefly the situation of affairs as designated by the heading. 

The word gospel is nowadays used frequeLtly to denote absolute truth or that 
which should receive sanction; a natural inference from its primary meaning Gospel; 
revelation oi God to >al;en man through a mediator, including the whole scheme 
of salvation as revealed by Christ and his apostles, also preached to Abraham by 
this promise of good news, "In thee all nations shall be blessed." Thus it is W9 
have the Government sanctioned liquor traffic, and we also have the Church sanc- 
tioned gospel traffic. 

I. As Government sanctioned affairs have gei erally been either based upon 
derived from or influenced by public notions on supposed matters of highest con! 
earn it will be proper to review the Gospel Liquor Traffic as revealed in the book 
that many people call the Bible, and by so doing I deem it here supeiflucus to 
quote the abundant scriptural passages which would show any man who was not 
a Bible prevaracator that Ms eternal standard of morels not only sanctions the use 
of intoxicating beverages, but even commands its commercial and religious use at 
the vtiy Holy Seat of tbat pxobifeitoiy Mosiac Economy where the God of Modern 
"Worshipers set up the Liquor Traffic which he &ave by statutory legislation, re- 
quiring the Levites and Priests to be paid partly by intoxicating wines for services 
rendered in religion (see Deut. 14: 22-26) (18: 2-8 .) Now, no one better than my- 
self is acquainted with the inexorable perfidy that characterizes the orthodox ex- 
egesis in its awk ward attempts to evade sacred truths and substisute popular and 
long cherished notions which satisfy an ardent zeal implanted in their perverted 
consciences by the inspired dupes of sphitual demagogues who have ever striven 
hard to seize the reins of government. 

I know how hard a case these self named reformers have on hand. The un- 
principled display of classical learning to explain away the wines (yay in and oinos) 
have been as unsuccessful in my mind as the similar defeat to pervert in defiance 
of standard lexicographers the words [g°henna and aionos] which have been so 
useful for Universalists and Unitarians to build a more rational theory so as to re- 
form the Christian system of that religious intemperance which swept our country 
with the plagues of Modern Bacchanalians, the religious exhilarations of Moodey's 



meetings, Jones' revivals and Salvation Army mai 
cation of their Gwn clamours ard midnight reveling?. 

When I opened my Hebrew I f.,=nnd that Yayin is tbere is, rbe au- 

thority, defines it wine, go called frcm fei meeting. The Greet m oiLos, \ 
rosh, new wine so called because it inebriates, The Gieek for the i 
g e-ukos. 

I believe nothing i5 lasting that will d air chance to redeem 

itself from tte abominable piactiet s, evil admonition and dangerous etnics 
it embraces 

I think and say this book is "better on feme points than its advocates pre 
and ail that is deietical is gcod r nd prcfi 
good. However, on the Hqoor question it is net slow. 

While it is acknowledged en both sices iba log from in 

erauce are gigantic the defamers of anti pro'- on accou 

variance must remember that the ordained ti&ffic of H tfal en to the 

debased slavery of even bartering their daughters iai this use uS household ar-iele 
Joel 3:3 

Also, as they woula and do now say the enrse has with its venomous 
coiled around the altars of h:]y eiaa'es o threaten their destruction, ye 
doubtless all the while have the ecclesiastical ch:-ek to quote this worthy pi 
inspiration in tcy other c ise it might suit their pni a man walking in ?h3 

spirit and falsehood do lie, saying I will prophesy unto the- 3 of ^?ine arid stroig 
drink, he shall even b the prophet of this people. (Mieah. 2: 11) The m- 
of which passage i 4 that if even a prophet would fail in carrying ont his 
duties by walking in the sprit of rhe Dimes jost as nowadays mar era ac- 

cuse a like unc ncsrn of duty or doctrine in their ecclesiastical peoago, u e 
appealing to the gratification of appetites ana standard ideas of propriety, h< 
even be their guide. 

I wouldn't te surprised some day bnt what the wine interpreters of mc 
times might make out that revis rs, ev n at the Bible business, make holy 
but not mistakes you know, in ~>f this sort. Furthermore we know there, 

are some ministers that foUo T tte bible's teaching on this point and 
that like a little of the beverage, bnt I guess the majority do not. You see I am 
not inclined to he illiberal and again I have friends amocg spiritual rum 
more than those of the literally speaking, but what we want is the straight 
of these matters, and not tee o;d, old story. 

Did you ever think of this statement? 'Our txovernment sactioceri liquo* 
traffic is of the Devil." Why I had tnougbt a 1 things of recent civilization are 
due to the admirable qualities oi Christ's meekness and Holy Ghost. It is only a 
century when all good churchmen had their spirits in common, even the r 
Puritans, but I have observed that the older Proste^tants beeome the more child- 
ish they grow and the more progress Protestantism has made the greater desire 
they have for enforcing lnws that have taken the place oi moral suasion. For 
my part I want to see this Government what it was intended to be and not the 
Cain's sort of Old Testament Genevan Theocracy that prohibited practices harm- 
less in themselves, all on the pretext of excess and punished trifles with death such 
as heresy and picking sticks up on Sunday. Oh, no ! Let the popular and ortho- 
dox notion of Baacroft be bannhed forever. I say the egg of American' Liberty 



was not laid ia the Genevan Pulpit. I care for none of the fruits of that spoilt 

, I would like onoe to see the country free when every hard working 

may worship trie Cod Bacchus, as well as the Josus of N)zareth in the open 

aibly of Sunday gatherings or attend the ball of a Sunday dance amidst the 

pleasures of social scenes and orchestral strains. I waut to see in short our illegal 

■itie ore legal holiday. There is no telling where these fanatics will 

carry their prohibition when they once get; a start, and I don't think we should 

r them by throwing away our votes There is something peculiar about 

this whoe political disturbance. The Christian people are concerned ! The good 

ug citizens are not so meddlesome. Well I believe they make that a 

; the preachers I mean, and their sheep follow of course, viz: They get the 

nuuey that goes to the rum seller. I thought the Shepherds never strayed! 

But why shall the followers of Jobn Calvin go back on their model who, as it has 

been written, rec ived his salary parti? in casks of wine for years, and why should 

b of Luther not imitate him who drank and eat to excess thereby thinking he 

ws tauttmg Satan, and surely some might think be took an o^erdeEe when he 

the ink bottle at the D yil, and Martin also liked bis beer, they say. I don't 

v how about John Wesley. Oaiy this is stated. He refused communion to a 
young lady whom it was thought be would marry. They had a love spat. Hence 

uference He, doubLles:4, like the followers of Jesus, considered this article 
a great blessing. What now must Christians do to surpass the Deists ut to be- 
lie the characters of Paine and Voltaire, bein^ unable to dispute their works. 
I 6a r there i3 far less evidence to prove that Paiae took one glass too much than 

j is to show that Jesus Christ was a wine bibber. But the men who make their 
pulpits ring with lies to misjudge this Father of our Country are not too good to 

icate statistics to suit their purposes of gain in this campaign. Is it not queer 

the disciples of Bacchus fast on Sunday and the disciples of Christ fast not 

v. ith open djors distribute bread and wine? Way the sacred bar proprietors 
don't woik tor nothing. ,Men and brethern ! These things ought not so to be. 
Why you know the laymen support them. The whiskey men are not bad custom- 
ers. At least their contributions are never rejected either in supporting those 
who hand out the cup of intellectual and spirtual intoxication or in building their 

s of Zion, yet this is what they call blood money, however their Lord didn't 

k to in 2 chap, of II Chronicles when Solomon contracted with Hiram, King 
re, for much material to be used in building the Holy Temple. But some 
say in disputing among themselves, we are under a new dispensation. Of course 
we will then examine the New Will which they say is better than the Old One and 
we see the fir^t thing for the Children of their Heavenly King to do is, to pervert 
that. 
V lathis text: "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles else the bottles 

k and the wine runneth out and the botties perish, but they put new wine into 
new bottles and both are preserved," the meaning i3 that the working Gospel 
Spirit of Chrisfc^hioh contained the Spirits of the Holy Ghost (which ma-e ob- 
servers on the day of Penticost believe it was the effects oi new wine or prohibition 
wine) would burst the dry skin formalism and legalism of Moses. "You see Je«us 
kne n all about that process of fermentation. He made wine himself, a great 
quantity of it at the east and the good kind in the bargain. Old topers know 
what that means. I reckon thy wanted something at that jollification to enliven 



theta and they got it. Now return to that passage 1 was explaining. It ends 
with this climax : "N«> man having drunk old wine desireth dew." Then the 
old we call good, which was intoxicating. Jesus in all probability took heme at 
the feast. 

If the Bible is of historical value all things go to prove that since he acknowl - 
edged he came eating and drinking he must haye been a very sociable leader n 
society just as many politicians nowdays and don't you read how eager his dis- 
ciples were to enjoy the earthly offices of His Kingdom and the very word here for 
drinking is pinon used in cases of drunkeness and the word wine-bibber oinopotes 
is the oinos the same Greek for the wine he made at Cana. 

This book also shows that toe Jews were not lieing when they called him a 
wine-bibber as he tries to get out of it by making them belieye he was no ascetic 
by distinguishing himself from John. He does it more ingeniously than most 
pretenders to the Messiaship could perhaps for he does not flat'y contradict it and 
even if a denial by inference car, be shown I will prove it doubly to be a plainer 
denial that he was equal with God from another place in the Last Will. Jesus in 
clearing himself evidently forgot that he had an argument with the Devil about 
turning stones into bread when a hermit in the wilderness. As the miracle of 
Cana was the first great performance so he took the last sapper with his compan- 
ions when they sang a song after partaking of the cup. Christians haven't failed 
to do it often in rememberance of Him socially or religously speaking. Protes- 
tantism to show its inconsistency abstains as often as possible while its wise 
mother Caiholicism still remains unchangeable. 

Before leaving the New Testament I want to s:raighten out the misrepresent- 
ed point of Paul (in Rom. 14: 21). Here the flesh and wine I admit have nothing 
to do with the question as it referred to that offered up to idols but the clause "nor 
to do anything whereby thy brother stumbLth" warrants the principles of total 
abstinence as proclaimed by Temperance Organizations though it mnst be saicl on 
the other hand contradicts the principles of Christ on the wine question while not 
on other matters, however, this is not to be taken at all as an argument that Our 
government should adopt it by sumptuarv or any other legislation. 

It is amusing to observe the folly displayed by Bible advocates on either side of 
this issue. Most ministers act dishonestly and deceitfully with this book here as 
on all other questions and the minority though far more just after all disregard 
what few there ere out of all their illy-chosen refereLces which epeak' dcrogatorilv 
of the article itself such as (Prov. S3; 31-32. 31; 4. 7. 20; 1). I will in this connec- 
tion abo cite texts favorably inclii}edto]drunkeness,(Prov. 9; 1. 6 31; 6. 7.) (Eccl. 
9; 7, 10; 19.) (Sol's. Song 5; 1 . 7, 8. 9.) (Gen. 49; 10 12 ) Now you see it takes 
the Deists to ac" fairly. They always have leit things bette - than when they 
found them. Then let us leave this narrow contradictory book. -It has caused 
the world trouble enough. A book (or children. It never was for noble men and 
creatures of self-control. A cowed down mass of sheep unlike the awastraying one 
threatened with the thunderings of orthodoxy's hell, that is guided by the eccle- 
siastical demagogueism of a Palestinian Shepherd I have often watched and pit- 
ied. That mais only less a half century from now framed the laws which we 
have in vogue on this question. To-day they wish it changed to sait their dia- 
bolical ends. How marvelous a change cf prihciples against those formerly held. 
Our land then peopled mostly with the self-esteemed best blood of Europe 



A 



naturally its laws became tinged with its superstition and bigotry. 

But now. Behold ! A nation of divines born in a day too eternally stupid to 
imitato their fathers if their honesty shall remain uuimpeached. Hasn't then the 
Gospel Liquor Traffio been a great aid in moulding the statutory laws on the very 
question before us. Must it not take shining brass to even ask a change of statu- 
tory legislation much less that of constitutional revision which trifles with what 
was intended merely to be an immutable weight of governmont right as a balance 
to the revolving wheel of national sway and popular derangement. Will even 
these common interest seeking benefactors enforce the laws though Prohibition 
should rise as by all Christendom's ressurrection after its ignominious death on 
the 18th of June when nailed to the insurrectionist's cjoss never more to be viewed 
save by its lapid descent into Oblivion's Hades. 

I must hurry on to my analogy. We ail pretty well know what our Govern- 
ment Liquor Traffic is like. My chief aim is to show the opponents that this 
government of ours they talk so much about has the,same right to prohibit the 
religion of Prohibitionists as has to prohibit the joy and comfort of rum-sellers 
and their followers. 

THE CHUISTIAN GOSPEL TRAFFIC. 

I know the advocates of this tra&c will kick hard against one placing their 
system in the way of a trade notwithstanding we all know they don't dispense 
their Gospel without remuneratiou notwithstanding the childish cant of loud 
professions. "Ho every one that thirtieth come ye to the waters and he that hath 
no money come y , buy and eat; yea. come buy wine (yayiv the wine of the Hew- 
brew that tells of Noah's drunkeness) and mils without money and without price 
(Isaiah 55:1). Of course the present expositors of prophetic sayings would sup. 
po e these articles never represented the literal but rather would refer unto the 
fulness of the times when Jtsus would hand out from the jugs of Cana that which 
the Holy Spirit of Gospel Life Water perfected through miraculous conversion and 
pronounced good by merry drinkers or greedy gospel imbibers. Surely none can 
accuse me of disrespect or sacrilege when I represent this present so-called religion 
of our day as the new wine of Christianity or that of ancient days as the old wine of 
Judaism ior in so e'oing I carry out the gospel anology of Christ founded upon the 
well established fact with which he was yery familiar namely that both are intox- 
icating. The complaint he made as dictator of his age I also will make from 
(Luke v-39) which means no man having drunk from Moses' cup of intoxication 
and so used to superstition's influences of prohibitory laws would rise above cir- 
cumstances to prefer a newer and better religion too expensive for the restraint of 
old leather-cracked, worn-cut systems that served their day and generation and 
too joyous for the acerb sons of melancholy. But I say far better rely on one who 
can advise you not like an unphilosophical ascetic who taught a system of abnega- 
tion but failed^o give you one idea how to restrict the evils of this passion and 
traffic but one who tells you of the manhood within you, the reason your guide 
and s vicur, the God of Nature, yonr master and immortality your hope. 

Yet it has been stated that Prohibition is the outcome of Chiistianity in spite 

of texts hard to be reconsiled just as slavery. Well that is true I admit. I will just 

Y^xpiain at this place, When a man sins by getting drunk they blame it on the 

>ne who offers it as a sacrifice upon the altar of good fellowship and use all their 



meaDS in punishing him the innocent one. This is exactly the doctorine of vi- 
carious atonements 'or Jesus once c fibred himself up fcr all to assuage the wrath 
of God and satisfy divine justice by redeeming mandind f rom hell and He alone 
they say can pay the debt. For my part I want no body to pay my moral debts. 
I am too independent for that. I am willing to suffer if I get drunk — never was 
yet. 

I would like to see a nation of strong and wise men unled by women, preach- 
ers and bigots, a people that worship the God of Nature, obey his laws that are so 
plain and few and regard the world's great harvest as his own atd in which a 
soarecrow Devil has no ownership. Away with the blasphemy thst disowns the 
fruit of the vine, that considers it Satan's glass of fire-water. Oh! wise philosoph- 
ers of our age! Go then and rub a little just on the outside of thine brows and if \% 
quickens the slumbering sense I will argue points. 

But every system of superstition has its evil genius as well as good and so 
they think they see fires of hell play beneath its symbol this red liquor glittering 
in the fine cut-glass. So I say like an unbiased creature. There is good and 
there is bad in cur Modern Superstition the Christian Gospel Traffic. I know it 
by experience. From Catechism's Fountainhead I drew the fullest draughts. 
That's the intoxication which flood the memory of my boyhood. No steps of 
pleasure I left unchmbed. To the health of fsra^l's King and Saviour I ever took 
one in commemoration of of my once considered friend. Still for all its joy and 
comfort to the crude untried soul of man I haven't forgot it has caused a world of 
trouble. 

How many are the victims of this ictemperanoe found in the hia;h spiritual 
places where the ecclesiastical landlords of Catholicism or clerical bosses in Pro- 
testantism have buught drink and strong drink from the distilleries and manufac- 
tories of synods, councils and conferences to sell to patr mizin* laym n at the 
saloons of their plenty abodes injudiciously until their minds ars set on fire with 
sacred zeal when you see them reeling from the bars of their own bui t altars, per- 
haps ushered into the street (when they shout too loudly which is seen occasion- 
ally in saloons not marked Weslyan) perhaps pushed into the highway oa account 
of holy indignation elsewhere termed wrangling, fallen into the gutter of poverty 
and shame because penniless to pay Priest or Preacher, staggering away to acci- 
dent because unfitted in mind to care for himself, lying on the rack of the reform- 
ation one moment to be a flesh-torn and broken-boned corps. Look at him a 
church-born and bred monomaniac in his family — wife and children fleeing be- 
fore his brutal rage, the knife or pistol in his hand, then his bleeding wife dying 
at his feet. Aguin see him on a bed of sickness fighting the devils of his brain 
born from the creeds and nightmare of spiritual darkness. Behold superstition's 
delerium tremens of intemperance in Martin Luther as he hurls his bottle of ink 
at an imaginary personal devil. 

Look at its public aspect, not confined by town or county lices but spreading 
over an entire State, What a scene of devastation and ruin which despoils kbo/, 
gluts prisoni and hospitals, and how does it do this but by neglectieg daily duties 
lor the sake of the Gospel Traffic, being reduced to poverty and religious maniacs 
coscientiously carrying out wrong principles; engulfs taxes, how? their temples o! 
worship are free from it and the poor make it up on their humble abodes by ex 
oessive taxation, impoverishes families, how? the har 1 -earned money goes to feec 



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the clergy and their immenso families Instead of bread for their children, breaks 
up -homes, how? b/ religious dissension, sends the occupants to almshouses, why? 
because they rendered helpless have nowhere else to go and carries thousands to 
-untimely graves, how is that? why by carrying out its principles and 
morals. 

What destruction must we recall and contemplate when measuring the wages 
of labor, the earnings of industry the savings of economy and the inheritance of 
wealth all, all engulfed in the spiritual drunkard's ruin by the craft of Priest and 
Preacher JOoes it not destroy happiness? Who can tell the woe, the sorrow, the 
pain, the broken hearts despoiled by drink the intoxication of superstition's traf- 
fic. Yes the woe — the innumerable bands of sinners damned from that Gospel 
Traffic. Yes the sorrow — the pining over such beyond the reach of everlasting joy 
and eternal life. Yes the pain — you know it well by heresay the scare of ever- 
oonsuming fires. Yes the broken beerts from anguish at the thought of loved 
ones never to be seen Reputition? Lost in the whirlpool of iehgious insanity 
What else can return it to the victim of folly, vice and crime, but the propitiation 
of vicarious atonement and what repute have the followers of to-day's creedB in 
the advanced minds of coming reformers 

The above ycu see is a perfect analogy from a written tirade wi h the name of 
Ex-ChieT Justice Agney, of Pennsylvania, over it against the Liquor Traffic which 
no more proves an argument for Prohibition than it does for the annihilation of 
the Chrietian Gospel Traffic. <The ex-chief justioe further makes this declaration. 
Drunkeness is therefore a great public wrong, involving life, healtn. prosperity, 
peace, property morals and the general wellfare. What is its corrective? The 
police pdwer recognized by the United States Supreme Court. Said Justice 
McLean: "The acknowledged police power of a State extends often to the de- 
struction of property. A nuisance may be abated, everything nredjudicial to the 
health and morals of a city may be removed."- If by this he means to state that 
drunkeness is in violation of the Christian Gospel Traffic's morals I don't disagree 
when I leave unmentioned the bible contradictions but if he does as the statement 
seems to mean that therefore its coriective is in the hands of the United States 
Supreme Court 1 say it is a mistake but such enors are common I will shake a 
greater one for coarseness out from their own paper entitled Amendment Sitt- 
ings "Doesn't it seem more than presumption to you, fellow yoter, for whiskey 
to put temperance on the defensive; for wrong to question the position of right; 
and for temptation to attempt to overthrow knowledge, temperance, patience and 
all the virtues " Now I remark on the above that no matter whether State con- 
Et.ituticns rest their efficacy on this moral bssis or not it certainly wouldn't be in 
accordance with the constifution of the United States and if it were I then am 
ashamed because of it and further say that governments should be established for 
the purpose of securing the rights of its citizens merely and not their morals which 
would cause endless discussion and legislation to ascertain the morals of even the 
present system of religion only to suit the spirits of just bigots and perfect fanat- 
ics and pave the way for re ligious tyranny, 

Again I quote from the ex- chief justice. "Nor does high license give pure 
liquors. Adulteral ion made more necessary by high tax, goes on and society 
swallows the poison. Eigh license means the suppression of some low dens, but 
what does it give in return? His etc. I supply in the anology. Suppose now in 



pearly gates. Why they ought to be ashamed of alluding to it being a justifica- 
tion of church as well as bar room rows and 67er since that doubtless we ha -e had 
a devil in the constitution of things. When will the traffic of superstition vanish? 
When it sh U eease to be that one aaith to his neighbor, "Eat this not and drink 
that not," but every one shall know the truth and eat and drink and be merry 
when happiness and prosperity snail crown all. Bat now it is on this wise. The 
capitalists are the Kings, the laborers slaves, Christians Gods and Infidels Devils, 
ignorance virtue and moderation vice. 

While we are with these would-be reformers I would say this. The destruc- 
tion of the Gospel Liquor Traffic or Government Sanctioned Liquor Trams has a 
direct parallel in that of the Christian Gospel Traffic. I say one is about as bon« 
orable as the other. There is money in both. However if they are anxious about 
reforming 1 will tell them something. There is plenty of room in your own nar- 
row circles to improve upon the crude bible interpretations of our so-called relig- 
ious eystem of to-day, and yet I iave the charity to say, Don't prohibit tholr traf- 
fic. Thej will come around all right. Were I to usa their language I would say, 
Who make your constitutions and establish your bills of rights? The people. 
They who are the State and are most interested in the question. Why shall they 
not tear down this idol of superstition, overturn this car o juggernaut in its path, 
pouring libaticcs of blood upon the scene of its triumphal ruin in the dark days of 
the middle ages. Let the people of Pennsylvania remember this one thing. We 
are still in the latter part of the dark ages. Qaeer times! Female Politicians! 
The W. C. T. U. born of the Gospel is led by those who care not for what its well- 
meaning workers want but what they want— Woman's Suffrage. Don't forget to 
vote against the amendment. Praise God for the result. Teach pure morals. 
Get all the good snd happiness from the garden of Creation's Paradise you can and 
don't allow the modern Devil of error to persuade you otherwise. You are not 
going to be cheated out of your immortality on that aocount. It will be given to 
us as a privilege like our own existence attended with its possibilities of advance' 
ment. 



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